Tokyo stocks open sharply lower after Wall St. falls

Tokyo stocks opened sharply lower Thursday, as investors sold tech issues after overnight falls on Wall Street amid renewed fears of elevated borrowing costs due to prolonged monetary tightening in the United States. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 430.40 points, or 1.38 percent, from Wednesday to 30,839.52. The broader Topix index was down 13.36 points, or 0.59 percent, at 2,241.04. On the top-tier Prime Market, decliners were led by electric appliance, precision instrument and consumer credit issues. The U.S. dollar was firm in the lower 150 yen ra...